Sign holder



s.c.NEs1-EGARD 3,360,876

Jan.2,1968

y SIGN HOLDER Filed Oct. 25, 1965 5)/ f yah-)35m United States Patent O 3,360,876 SIGN HOLDER Sander Charles Nestegard, White Bear Lake, Minn., assignor to Elaine A. Nestegard, White Bear Lake, Minn. Filed Oct. 23, 1965, Ser. No. 503,416 8 Claims. (Cl. 40-10) ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A bracket to support sign holders and the like to cylindrical surfaces comprising in combination an arcuate spring steel band and an inner liner of flexible magnetized magnetic material.

This invention relates to devices for supporting signs of the type used in advertising and pricing in retail stores and in one aspect to a releasable supporting bracket to support a sign holder on magnetizable cylindrical surfaces such as garment racks.

Previously known means for securing sign holders to cylindrical rods included clamps using bolts to draw flexible bands tightly around a rod, and rigid clamps using set screws which are turned against the rods. These devices are not easily positioned on the rods. They are generally unattractive. They cause the rods to become marred and scratched and eventually generally unattractive.

The bracket of the present invention overcomes the general objections to the previously known clamps. It has the advantage of being easily moved yet securely holds the sign in place when positioned on the rods or other cylindrical surface.

The bracket of the present invention is simple in construction, attractive and unobvious in style.

The illustrated combination of sign holder and bracket permits signs of varying shapes to be used and placed securely upon the rods and to be easily moved if desired without leaving any scratches or other unsightly marks on the rods.

The bracket of the present invention combines a gripping force and magnetic force to effectively support the sign holder. The bracket comprises a resilient flexible band formed to fit a cylindrical rod, which band has a liner of flexible magnetized magnetic material adhered to the inner surface thereof.

These advantages and others will be more apparent as this description proceeds and which describes the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a sign holder and bracket incorporating the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged plan view of one ear on the holder;

FIGURE 3 is a front elevational view of the holder and bracket shown in FIGURE l; and

FIGURE 4 is an end elevational view thereof.

Referring to the drawing there is illustrated a sign holder having a plate member 11 and a pair of integral parallel ears 12, 13 extending generally perpendicularly and parallelly outward from opposite ends of the member 11. Into these ears, a pair of slots 14, have been formed which are open at their upper ends. As best seen in FIG- URES 1 and 2 the slots are formed by parallel planar wall surfaces (14a, 141; define slot 14 and 15a, 15b define slot 15) which are oblique to the plane of the ear. The surfaces 14a, 14h of the slot 14 are nonplanar or angularly related to the surfaces 15a, 15b of the slot 15 and are so related that the planes of the wall surfaces of one slot converge with the planes of the wall surfaces of the other slot at a point between the ears but offset from a plane through or connecting both slots.

ICC

FIGURE 2 most clearly illustrates the slot 15 formed in the ear 13. The surfaces 15a and 15b are parallel and extend obliquely to the plane of the ear 13 to form acute angle corners at diagonally opposite edges 17 and 18 of said surfaces and at the edges which define a slot through said ear when viewed from a position normal to the plane of said ear as seen in FIGURE 4.

The spacing between the wall surfaces 14a and 14k, 15a and 15b is chosen to be greater than the thickness of the card stock for the sign. That is the dimension between the diagonally opposite edges, such as 17 and 18, at the acute corners, when measured along the .plane of the ear, is slightly less than the thickness of the card stock.

The plate member 11 has a hollow sleeve 19 secured thereto intermediate its end portions and extends therefrom in a direction opposite the direction of the ears 12 and 13. The sleeve 19 affords means for attaching the holder 10 to a support device.

When placing a sign or card 20 of stiff, flexible, resilient material in holder 10, see FIGURE 1, the card 20 is first slightly bowed to conform to the plane of the wall surfaces defining each slot, as illustrated by the broken line position. In this position the card 20 is easily inserted in the slots 14 and 15. The card 20 is then released, and its natural resilience and perhaps a little pressure will cause it to return to a planar position in the holder, as shown in solid lines, where it will be held in place by the closely spaced diagonally opposite edges of each slot 14 and 15 being impressed slightly into the card stock.

For holders as described, 16 gauge sheet material is suitable and a card made of 7 to 10 ply tag board may be used for most applications with slots formed corresponding to the size of tag board to be used.

The holder 1t) is supported by the novel device or bracket, formed in accordance with the present invention and generally designated 22, to releasably secure the holder to small diameter support bars, for example, garment racks as illustrated by broken lines at 23. The bracket 22 has means for afiixing the same to sign holders and as illustrated comprises a rod 24, of circular crosssection, adapted to snugly fit in the sleeve 19 formed on the bottom of the plate member 11. The rod 24 is aixed as by weldments or similar means, i.e. swaging to an arcuate resilient flexible clamp member 26 formed preferably of a narrow band of spring steel. The clamp member 26 is adapted to be flexed and fitted about the support bar 23. It has a constant radius and an arcuate extent greater than one-half the circumference of a circle, about 230, so the ends will extend Varound the bar slightly below the center on each side thereof as illustrated. A layer 27 of flexible magnetized magnetic material is adhered to the inner surface of Said member 26 and very adequately attaches the holder 10 to cylindrical bars so it will not accidentally become displaced.

The bracket 22 preferably has a rod 24 which is about one and one-half inches long and three-eighths inch in diameter and which has a clamp member 26 which is about l inch in axial length.

The supporting layer 27 is adhered, as by an adhesive substance, to the member 21 as shown in FIGURE 4. Such Ymaterial comprises finely divided particles capable of being permanently magnetized (ferromagnetic materials), and a tough flexible thermoplastic binder to hold them in place. Ferromagnetic materials include cobalt, iron, nickel and various alloys; compounds of iron such as barium ferrite, lead ferrite, and strontium ferrite, and other materials containing manganese. This layer 27 will affix the holder 1i) and its attached card to any magnetizable bar such as 23. This layer affords firm attachment and has a surface affording frictional resistance to movement. The layer 2'7 is smooth and avoids marring or scratching the rod during placement or release.

Having thus described the invention with reference to the accompanying drawing, what is claimed is:

1. A'bracket adapted to support a sign holder on a small cylindrical support bar, said bracket comprising a small cylindrical rod having opposite ends, one end being adapted to be aliixed to a said holder, a narrow resilient flexible band of spring steel formed in a normally arcuate shape and connected adjacent the convex side, intermediate its ends, to the other end of said rod, and a layer of flexible magnetized magnetic material secured to said band on the concave side of said band by a suitable bonding material.

2. A bracket as deiined in claim 1 wherein said band is bent to have a constant radius of curvature and has a length greater than one-half and less than the circumference of a circle ofthe same radius.

3. A bracket as deiined in claim 1 wherein said layer of iiexible magnetic material comprises particles of ferromagnetic material disposed in a polymeric binder.

4. In combination,

a holder for supporting a fiat resilient card, said holder comprising a base member having spaced opposite end portions, an ear portion formed on said base member at each of said opposite end portions which extend away from said base member in the same direction and generally parallel to each other, each said ear portion being provided with a slot deined by two parallel wall portions, the wall portions of one slot lying in parallel planes different from the planes of the wall portions of the other slot but converging therewith, said wall portions having parallel edges with diagonally opposite edges of one slot defining a narrow slot through one ear portion narrower than the thickness of a said card and parallel with the narrow slot delined by diagonally opposite edges of the wall `portions of the other slot such that a said card, when bowed out of its iiat shape, may enter both of said slots simultaneously and be returned to a substantially planar position within said narrow slots with the diagonally opposite edges of each slot engaging opposite sides of a said card to firmly hold the card in said holder, and

a support bracket for supporting said holder on a cylindrical rod, said bracket comprising a rod having opposite end portions and joined at one end portion to said base and extending in a direction therefrom opposite that of said ears, an arcuate clamp member formed of a narrow band of resilient flexible material connected on one side, intermediate its'ends, to the other end portion of said rod, and a layer of liexible magnetic material secured to the inner curved surface of said clamp member.

5. The combination as claimed in claim 4 wherein said layer of iiexible magnetic material, comprising particles of ferromagnetic material disposed in a polymeric binder.

6. A iexible self-retaining mounting bracket for use in mounting an article such as a sign holder to a magnetizable cylindrical support, said bracket comprising a band of spring steel formed in an arcuate shape to extend about more than one-half and less than the circumference of a circle having a similar curvature and a layer of flexible magnetized magnetic material adhered to and conforming with the inner concave surface of said band, said material comprising particles of ferromagnetic material disposed and held in a thermoplastic binder.

7. A bracket as described in claim 6 wherein means is affixed to said band for aixing a said article to said band.

8. In combination,

a sign holder for supporting a liat card;

a support bracket for supporting said sign holder on a magnetizable cylindrical support, said bracket comprising an arcuate spring steel clamp member which is straight in a widthwise direction and arcuate in a lengthwise direction, the arcuate extent being greater than one-half and less than the circumference of a circle of the same curvature; and

a layer of flexible magnetized magetic material adhered to the inner surface of said clamp member; and

means for joining said sign holder to said bracket at a central. portion of the latter, affording a sign holder adapted to securely support a sign on a cylindrical member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 363,525 5/1887 Lipp 40-11 3,115,434 12/1963 Hahn 40-142 3,150,296 9/1964 McIntosh 4G-142A FOREIGN PATENTS 21,200 9/ 1897 Great Britain. 288,015 5/1928 Great Britain.

EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner.

W. J. CONTRERAS, Assistant Examiner. 

